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Match unapplied payments to open invoices without applying them

  • For Accountants
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

You're researching unapplied customer payments. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Payment | Likely invoice | Match | Note, one row per payment. Match is exactly one of "Exact match", "Amount match only", "Partial payment" or "No match". Note says what to confirm or what remains, and never says to apply the payment; a person applies cash. Under 110 words. No bullets or numbering.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Naming the unknown payer. The AI repeats the collector's guess that P4 is Sable Law. Try: Add: "Do not guess who the unknown payer is."
  • Calling P2 an exact match. The AI treats an amount match with no reference as exact. Try: Define: "Exact match needs the reference and the amount to agree."
  • Missing the partial balance. The AI marks P3 matched and skips the $3,200 left. Try: Add: "Partial payment: show the remaining balance."
  • Applying cash. The AI writes 'apply to INV-2201'. Try: Add: "Never say to apply the payment."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits. Try: Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the columns
  • Restricts match labels
  • Asks for the remaining balance
  • Bans applying and guessing
  • Caps length

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